GOTHAM: MONSTERS
by TrajicLover
Summary: A power struggle erupts The Court of Owls makes it's move with a shocking ally leading it's forces. Sides will be chosen as unimaginable secrets are revealed with James Gordon at the center. Who will come out on top as the new king or queen of Gotham? Will Gotham survive or will it be cleansed in fire? Will Bruce and Selina's love endure the flames or will history repeat itself?
1. Chapter 1

_Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win. -Stephen King_

Gotham Many Years Ago…

It was the coldest winter in Gotham on record the Boy was at least twelve to thirteen. He was homeless his parents well his mother and step father were the casualties of a mob hit. Now he was in jail for stealing from a hot dog vendor worse yet he promised to meet a friend at the movies and he was not able to keep his promise.

An older man came into the interrogation room looking at the report he was someone important. The old man smiled when he looked at the report "You are quite something you know that you've barely eaten all week according to the doctor and yet you out ran three GCPD officers who were nearby at the time if you weren't weakened by hunger you'd probably have gotten away."

"When can I leave? I need to meet my friend she's waiting for me." The Boy spoke clearly concerned worried.

"I'm afraid that's not going to happen. Her parents want to stay away from her they asked that you be locked up in Arkham and in this city for the right price anyone could be locked up in Arkham and that key thrown away."

"Please don't I'll do anything don't send me to Arkham!" He begged how could this happen to him? Did her family really detest him that much that they would want him tossed into the worst place in the world?

"Don't worry." The old man said I have no intention of wasting the potential of someone so promising but tell me do you know this poem? _Beware The Court of Owls, that watches all the time, ruling Gotham from a shadow perch, behind granite and lime. They watch you at your hearth, they watch you in your bed, speak not a whispered word of them or-"_

" _They send a Talon for your head."_ The Boy finished for him.

"You know it?" The Man was clearly delighted "Not many do sadly Gotham's history is lost on so many of its citizens who allow themselves and it to drown in their own sin and filth. There are some who believe it must redeemed in blood-" The Old Man said seeing if he'd get a reaction given who the boy's friend was. However clearly the boy was not aware of the significance of that phrase so he continued "However there are a select few who know better. Who know it must be cleansed in fire and death. To that end I offer you salvation or damnation depending on your point of view."

"What salvation?"

"If you come with me a new life will be awaiting you never will you be powerless never will you have weakness in your heart. However, there is a price you must devote yourself to something greater than yourself. You must become someone else _you will become something else._ That or of course you could choose to do nothing and rot in Arkham until you are old alone and broken. Maybe you can even get your revenge on her family for putting you on this path one day. So, what will it be?"

Gotham Present Day…

The Talon watched the city from a window it was the same window Tabitha and that blond little girl had parachuted out of. He'd been using Theo's old apartment as his base which was surprisingly easy given that his actions made the building undesirable the owner even tried selling the building but nobody wanted it leaving it in a kind of limbo.

It was a kind of religious thing or tradition for Talon. They always moved and built their lairs in the home of fallen enemies. Like how owls stole the nests of other birds by pushing them out. It was a long-standing tradition he didn't live there of course he just hid and stashed his stuff there. He had conflicting feelings as one might imagine he never could be free to be the real him. Sometimes he even wondered who the real him even was. Was he the Talon one of Twelve guardians of Gotham charged to live in secret never to show his true self.

He often thought back to that day wondering if he made the right choice. Some might say he was just a kid that he was manipulated that the old bastard played on his fears. He knew that was partly true that this lifestyle had been forced on him but he was also aware of a sadder truth that he in part chose to embrace this lifestyle. He could have begrudgingly allowed himself to exist as an assassin but deep down he knew it was because he enjoyed the thrill of the hunt and the satisfaction of that kill.

It was that knowledge that let him know he'd still be damaged even if he had grown up perfectly. Yes, it was more than his traumas more than his experiences it was something deep inside of him that he could not explain. That was why he was this way it simply was who he was.

He couldn't have ever imagined however that she would walk back into his life like she did. He wondered he'd be a fool not if she recognized him if that was why she and him were doing what they were doing or if revenge on him was at least her reason for helping that arrogant prick. Still he found it both heart breaking and comforting that she didn't recognize him he knew her motivation for her actions the one thing about her personality that defined her the trait he loved most about her especially back then "She was so different back then and I-" Talon stopped himself instead he straightened his posture and took a deep breath "It doesn't matter who I was that boy is dead and that girl he loved is gone!" He leaned out of the window closed his eyes while taking a deep breath beneath his mask and without a word jumped out the window gliding against the wind but looked as though he was flying.

Meanwhile across the city Barbara was enjoying a sip of wine. Everything was coming together the city was nearly hers and soon she'd finally have it all. Granted she'd have to step on some people to get there but oh well. The doorbell rang, happily she walked up to it expecting Tabitha or Butch they were so close to finally getting everything to finally having it all. It would make sense they'd want to celebrate.

"Jim?" Barbara honestly didn't expect him to show up on her door.

"Barbara, we need to talk." He clearly just got off from work he was dressed in a suit and wore his white shirt and black tie.

"Oh, so now you want to talk!" She cheerfully exclaimed.

Gordon's tired expression said it all that he was fed up and tired "Can you please just give it a rest Barbara? I'm not in the mood and honestly was hoping we could genuinely talk."

"About?" She asked sounding like an immature teenager.

"Do you remember the Balloon murder case? I remember I came home from work I was so broken by the lack of compassion and humanity in the GCPD and do you know what you said to me? Or rather what you asked me?"

"Uh-" She was about to make a sarcastic remark along with an insult. He cut her off now speaking in an unusal tone like he was angry and serious but there was something more to him like he had a point.

"You asked me if I never would kill if I would never cross that line. Do you remember what you said next? You said you loved me!" He stepped closer making her feel strangely afraid like all that darkness she claimed existed hidden inside him back at the church had finally surfaced. Barbara didn't understand what he was trying to do.

"I- I don't understand why your doing this?" She started to stutter it was unnerving. How he getting under her skin so easily.

"I'm trying to talk to you Barbara in terms you understand! I tried coming here hoping to have a regular honest conversation. I should have known you are only ever interested in playing games that's why we didn't work out!"

"Me?" She yelled finally dropping the silly persona she so shamefully flaunted "You abandoned me! You moved on with Lee!"

"You were involved with Montoya and kept it from me! You hid parts of yourself from me! You never told me about your parents you never told me about your child hood. You are as just as much to blame for why are engagement fell apart so don't put that all on me. You were more honest with the Ogre about who you were after knowing him only a few days then you ever were with me in all the years we were together! So where do you get off acting high and mighty when you hid more of yourself then I ever hid from you?"

"Get out Jim! You should really be nicer to me. My friends and I will soon be running this city. When that happens you'll come back crawling!"

Gordon paused for a moment then started laughing "I knew it! Wow you are really pathetic this is why I miss Penguin he and I as many times as we bumped heads we actually understood something you never have."

"Oh and what's that?"

"What it takes to run this city. Power, respect, vision, ambition, you have none of these you are so fixated on me you will crash and burn and drag those two poor souls Tabitha and Butch down with you well that's assuming they don't back stab you or abandon you after realizing how inept you are."

"Please Tabitha's probably going to kill you just for coming here."

"You sure about that? How do you know she's not tired of your sad little crush? I mean she gives and she gives but what does she get? I bet you are always talking about me when you get the chance she's already with Butch she chose him over you she proved that when she gave up her hand or so I heard through the great vine because unlike you she knows that a person sacrifices for those they love! I sacrificed everything for you! I gave you everything Barbara and you gave me nothing but contempt and high expectations! That's why I'm not worried about your rise to power even if you outwit Nygma you don't need some big bad conspiracy to ruin your happiness and success you do that very well on your own and Tabitha out of the three of you deserves to run this city hell she and Butch might actually, be the least corrupt people to ever run it. Hell, Penguin was better than that other guy whose name escapes me for some reason. Tabitha's always been the brains behind the brawn and the crazy if you ask me. Just imagine how far those two could go without you holding them back."

In a desperate act Barbara without thinking grabbed his gun "Leave! Get out Jim!"

"No. Now's your chance prove you have what it takes to lead kill me! You keep saying and acting like I'm not a priority so prove it! Prove you want to rule Gotham end me! End the only last threat to your climb to the top!" He screamed at top of his lungs daring her to pull the trigger.

As predicted though she just burst into tears and dropped the gun "You disappoint me Barbara." He said picking up the gun while looking down on her "Don't ever make power plays unless your all in." Then he just left leaving behind a teary-eyed Barbara.

Mean while at Butch's home he and Tabitha were celebrating the death of Penguin "To Oswald!" He smiled toasting with Tabitha

"To Oswald! May the fish be eating well off is smarmy corpse." Tabitha replied grinning.

"So…" Butch started to say while keeping his hand on the ring he had hidden in his pocket "I was thinking with Penguin dead and Nygma soon to be dead. Do you think maybe since-"

"What are you asking Butch?"

"Look it's Gotham you never what's going to happen whose going to make the next power play or whose going to die. I know we haven't been together very long but if we're going to stay in this city we should make the most of whatever time we have Tabitha. We might grow old or die young why waste a moment?" He asked starting to pull out the ring.

"I know what your trying to say Butch but-" she shook her head "I haven't really felt the way I have about you for a very long time. There was this boy I knew growing up and my parents were less than approving and Theo was-" She stopped like she was looking at a ghost or something "Theo had just come back from be taken from those monks. You see I was adopted and never really treated as part of the family Theo was the only one who was kind to me. Then when he came back I remember being so happy but- my body was going through changes and he took an interest in me I didn't like." Tabitha explained her voice surprisingly tense and she immediately downed an entire glass wine "I'm sorry Butch we're supposed to be celebrating and I'm ruining things." Tabitha started wipe a tear from her eye.

"Hey." Butch took her hand "Don't ever apologize not to me Tabs. I want to know you I want to know everything about you."

"You're a sweet guy. You remind of that boy I knew back then he was kind and sweet always protected me and no matter how many times Theo would beat him down he always got back up he never once landed a punch on my brother but Theo hated how he'd never stay down. Sometimes he'd sneak into the house and surprise it pissed off my parents and Theo I think that's why he did it."

"You sound like you loved him what happened? What was this guy's name? Did you ever try tracking him down?"

"I don't know we were supposed to have our first date at this theater but he never showed instead Theo showed up said I was an idiot for trusting someone other than him he really laid into me. From that day on I guess it became difficult for me to trust people. I never really looked for him but I'll never forget his name I think it was Phillip and his last name was… I don't really remember I know his father disowned him for being born as the result of an affair and his father's family is or was influential in Gotham the Cades, the Shanes I think, no it now I remember I know it started with a K."

Butch was about to take out the ring while she was distracted when a rapid knocking interrupted their dinner "Tabby! Butch I need to talk to you!" Barbara yelled desperate.

Tabitha started to get up and go to the door Butch grabbed her "Babe. Come on its Barbara can't we just pretend we're not home and deal with whatever crap she's got going on tomorrow? She always does this and you always enable her victimhood you can't hold her hand forever. What's it going to be Tabitha? Her or us? You can't put our life together on hold every time she comes knocking. I mean when will it end? Five years? Ten? Twenty? I would really like to know. What are you going to do?"


	2. Chapter 2

_Authors Note: Okay So I did a rewrite because I didn't like how the last version turned out. I hope you enjoy the rewrite._

Gotham Twenty Years Ago…

Tabitha Galavan was very different back then you'd never expect the book worm sitting on the park bench wearing a pink coat and long blue skirt with black shoes wearing her hair in pig tails would grow up to be the vicious killer she was as an adult. She was very shy and somewhat of a nerd with dreams of being an artist. That's why she was reading a book on how to open up an art gallery it was her secret dream.

"Yo Tabs!" A young boy dressed in a zipped-up leather jacket and jeans shouted jumping over the back of the bench landing on the side.

"Phil!" Tabitha looked around panicked "You are too loud it's rude."

"Uh! Your killing me Taby why do you have to be so polite? Would it kill you to take a risk? To break a law! Something."

Tabitha glared at him but in a cute way "Would it kill you to get a job? I think you'd look cute in a tie and suit."

Phil laughed "Yeah right me in a tie? The day I dress up in some monkey suit is the day you can-"

"Can what?"

"Can hurt someone." He answered hesitantly.

"You don't think I could, though right?" She asked clearly worried sticking her hands into the pockets of her pink coat "This city it's sick Phil and the older I get. The more I worry it's going to get us. I'm afraid we're going to change. I'm afraid that we'll turn into people we don't want to be. What if we grow up to be monsters?" She turned away from him starting to cry.

"Hey." He said grabbing her shoulder making her face him then said firmly "You will never be a monster. You will always be Tabitha Galavan the girl that wears her heart on her sleeve who always does the right thing and I'll always be Phillip Kane the boy who can't make an honest buck and who always screws up."

"You promise? You promise we'll always be friends?" She grabbed his hand and pulled in close looking him in the eyes.

"I promise." Phillip didn't know why but his heart was racing he never had been this close to a girl before.

"Phillip." Tabitha didn't know why but it was the same for her to, he was the first boy who made her heart pound like crazy but she like it. She never felt more alive than when he was around and she never felt more alone when he was gone "Promise me one more thing." Her breathing started getting heavier as their lips got closer "If I become a monster promise you'll-"

"Awe you two look so sweet!" A man shouted from a distance the two kids turned around they saw a tall man with grey white hair and a slightly short chubby man in a suit beside him.

The tall man was Cyrus Gold one of the top guys in Gotham's Underworld arguably the favorite to come out on top in an all-out fight with Falcone's family. The guy next to him was Mr. Gilzean his right-hand man and Butch's dad "You should really introduce me to your friend here Night Owl." Gold added with a sick smile.

"Night Owl?" Tabitha looked at Phil confused.

"It's a nickname Tabby." He turned to Gold "Look Mr. Gold if this is about the money."

"Yes and your short. Two hundred out of five hundred you are supposed to pay to let your punk ass steal in my territory. I'm not soft like that bitch Falcone, softness Kid that's what is going to ruin this city the moment runts like you stop having to pay their share to the people in charge is when this city will slip into anarchy. That Bitch Falcone will ruin Gotham." Gold then gave the young Tabitha a creepy look "You know I would be willing to forget your debt if your little friend here-"

"Don't touch her!" Phil screamed getting between Gold and Tabitha "I can get your money by the end of day! You don't touch her not now not ever! You don't offer her a job at your sleazy club you don't even say her name! Understand Gold?"

"Whoa!" Gold raised his hands defensively "Relax kid. Just being friendly any way just pay your weekly tax and we'll swear oh and take care of your lay I can tell-" Gold licked his lips before finishing "She's going to be a real heart breaker. I'll see you around kid." He gave a creepy wink to Tabitha before he and his guy left.

"Phil who was that guy?"

"Tabitha please promise me you'll never come back to this part of Gotham without me!"

She took a deep breath "Only if you promise me that even if we become monsters that we'll still look out for each other. Promise it will be just us not my parents, not Theo, not guys like that Cyrus Gold! Just us! Promises me together forever." She practically begged as her tears came flooding out of her eyes.

Phillip started to cry to in this dark sick city she was his only reason for going strange as that may sound he took her hand and said "Together forever."

Gotham Seven Years Ago…

"Come on Barbara you can do this." Barbara said to her reflection she was nervous it was her first time working at an art gallery and her parents had done nothing but look down on her and dismiss her dreams.

She was in a beautiful red dress with matching heels her hair was long in a ponytail. After taking a deep breath she walked out of the bath room and out to the main event "Come on say something you idiot." She whispered to herself she whispered to herself trying to rouse some small bit of self-esteem then she bumped into some random guy "I am so sorry!"

"Don't worry about it it's fine." The Man was in a suit and looked well-built with a commanding presence.

"Sorry about that I'm Barbara."

"Barbara?" He asked giving her a weird haunted look.

"Yeah sorry I'm just going to be going now."

"No, I'm sorry it's just that name it reminds me of someone she wasn't named Barbara but she had a horse named Barbara. The horse was very important to her but it died."

"Oh, I see. What brings you here?"

"I don't know she always wanted to have her own art gallery or be a doctor I don't know she joked a lot about what she wanted to do. Her family was very controlling to say the least. There was rarely a day they weren't dictating her life."

She smirked and nodded "I know how it feels. We'd probably be best friends."

"Maybe any way I'm being a jerk talking about another woman in front of a pretty thing like you."

Barbara giggled "Quite the charmer."

"In case I haven't said it before my name is Gordon, James Gordon. Do you know anything about that painting over there?" He asked pointing to a portrait of a couple embracing on a cliff's edge a sunset over the ocean in the background.

"Oh that!" She exclaimed "That's a popular piece done by T.G. a new and rising star in the art world nobody has ever met him though. Only thing he goes by is his initials. Why?"

"It looks familiar the view I mean. The thing about artists is they always have a unique style you know? Anyway, how about we discuss price over say dinner and a movie?"

Gotham Present day…

It was a day later to be honest Tabitha never really liked to advertise her secret passion for art it was one of the few things she hid from just about everyone in her life especially Theo and her parents. She often thought she was weak and pathetic for still loving them despite everything they'd done to her over the years she really envied the people outside the window walking around living normal lives she'd never say it outloud but she wished she could go a day living someone else's life.

She was working on the sketch of a horse her favorite one growing up until it died well until it was killed as part of a punishment. It was a female named Barbara she thought she found her soul mate when she met the human Barbara in that asylum she thought it was fate. she believed that finally she found someone who could really understand her but her so called friend was too obsessed with that cop Gordon to really care about anything else.

Tabitha wondered if she was cursed at times she never asked to become whatever the hell she was. She didn't think she was a psychopath or narcissist she had a capacity for love she cared for Barbara and Butch after all but she did enjoy hurting people it was soothing for her to cause pain if she had to pick a word for it that is what she would use to describe it. Tabitha only ever showed her work to one person and he was gone.

"Hey Butch!" She called out.

"Yeah Tabs?" Butch walked in happy as he could be.

"Tell me what you think of this." She handed him her drawing

"Wow this is amazing and you even put your initials in the bottom corner." Butch really loved her and never ceased to be amazed by how amazing Tabitha was.

She blushed "I always wanted to be an artist and open up my own Gallery." She smiled but it was a sad smile "I even got some of my stuff out in the public view a few times. I always had to keep it a secret. Theo and my parents they-" Tabitha stopped completely starring off into space Butch could tell she was starting to cry.

"Do you want to be alone?" He asked knowing she wasn't the type to open up easily she didn't answer so he started to leave that was when she asked him the last thing he ever expected to hear from her

"How do you feel about me giving up my guns and whip? I mean you got me thinking last night what if we went legit? Just lived normal lives left Gotham go somewhere nobody knows us start over."

"What about having it all Babe? Like Barbara said."

Tabitha stood up meeting Butch in the eye "You said it yourself there is always another power play! What if Oswald comes back or Nygma captures us again? I don't know why I'm feeling this way but what if one day we wake up and who we are hates who we've been? Can you honestly tell me you wanted to be always be a mobster who lost his hand? Do you want a life where we are constantly looking over a shoulder waiting for a bullet to the brain? Do you really want-"

"Yes." He answered flatly and unapologetically.

"What?" She replied surprising Butch with her devastated look.

"Yes, Tabs I've always wanted to be a mobster I grew up around the life it's all I've known. I'm sorry but Gotham is in my blood and it's who I am." Butch's reply was without uncertainty he meant every word and had no apologies. He couldn't understand why Tabitha was acting this way the truth was her talking about Phillip had her thinking more of the past and rethinking her choices making her wonder if she could ever be different.

For the first time he saw Tabitha in pain like the usually stone cold woman he was use to had vanished and in her place was a sad and lost woman he never met before "It's nothing Butch just forget it we are who we are we can never be anything different." Tabitha just walked away sketch pad in hand storming to her room locking it.

"Tabs baby!" Butch didn't understand what was going on with her. Was something happening with her? Was this the real Tabitha underneath the stoic exterior or was she simply just as unstable as everyone else in Gotham and having a rare emotional shift. How could she ask him to leave Gotham to live a normal life why would she want to? Didn't she enjoy being who she was like he did?

Meanwhile inside her room she started crying and couldn't stop. "Why did you break your promise Phil?" She didn't even know why she was asking the question but it was the one she always wanted answered.

Gotham Park…

Gordon stood in the park it had lost much of its beauty over the years it was over grown and filled with bums and crooks no longer did families or children come here. It was sad and made him feel like the Park was a symbol and embodiment of his life and pattern of relationships. Lee told him he was a virus and maybe she was right maybe she and Valerie got lucky. He was glad they were in a way saved from him the last thing he wanted was to let anyone down like he had Barbara and of course Tabitha.

He looked down at the bench where they made those promises so many years ago "Why couldn't you stay away? Why did you have to go looking for me?" That was after all how it happened how Cyrus Gold got to her when he didn't show up at the movie she went looking and Gold that bastard.

Gordon bit his lip "Gold, you bastard I only wish I could have killed you myself." Though in his heart he didn't blame Gold he blamed himself that was why he was seeking redemption for failing her for breaking his promise. He felt that was what made him a monster "Together forever."


End file.
